REPORT ON THE STATUS OF AN ELEMENT INSCRIBED ON …



CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING

OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE

SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

Sixth session

Bali, Indonesia

November 2011

Nomination file no. 00411

for Inscription on the Representative List

of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011

|A. STATE(S) PARTY(IES) |

|FOR MULTI-NATIONAL NOMINATIONS, STATES PARTIES SHOULD BE LISTED IN THE ORDER ON WHICH THEY HAVE MUTUALLY AGREED. |

|JAPAN |

|B. NAME OF THE ELEMENT |

|(I) NAME OF THE ELEMENT IN ENGLISH OR FRENCH |

|THIS IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE ELEMENT THAT WILL APPEAR IN PUBLISHED MATERIAL ABOUT THE REPRESENTATIVE LIST. IT SHOULD BE CONCISE. PLEASE DO NOT|

|EXCEED 200 CHARACTERS, INCLUDING SPACES AND PUNCTUATION. THE NAME SHOULD BE TRANSCRIBED IN LATIN UNICODE CHARACTERS (BASIC LATIN, LATIN-1 |

|SUPPLEMENT, LATIN EXTENDED-A OR LATIN EXTENDED ADDITIONAL). |

|MIBU NO HANA TAUE, RITUAL OF TRANSPLANTING RICE IN MIBU, HIROSHIMA |

|(II) NAME OF THE ELEMENT IN THE LANGUAGE AND SCRIPT OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERNED, IF APPLICABLE |

|THIS IS THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE ELEMENT IN THE VERNACULAR LANGUAGE CORRESPONDING TO THE OFFICIAL NAME IN ENGLISH OR FRENCH (POINT B.I). IT SHOULD|

|BE CONCISE. PLEASE DO NOT EXCEED 200 CHARACTERS IN UNICODE (LATIN OR OTHERS), INCLUDING SPACES AND PUNCTUATION. |

|壬生の花田植 |

|(III) OTHER NAME(S) OF THE ELEMENT, IF ANY |

|IN ADDITION TO THE OFFICIAL NAME(S) OF THE ELEMENT (B.I) PLEASE MENTION ALTERNATE NAME(S), IF ANY, BY WHICH THE ELEMENT IS KNOWN, IN UNICODE |

|CHARACTERS (LATIN OR OTHERS). |

|NONE |

|C. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ELEMENT |

|(I) IDENTIFICATION OF THE COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OR, IF APPLICABLE, INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED |

|ACCORDING TO THE 2003 CONVENTION, INTANGIBLE HERITAGE CAN ONLY BE IDENTIFIED WITH REFERENCE TO COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS THAT RECOGNIZE |

|IT AS PART OF THEIR CULTURAL HERITAGE. THUS IT IS IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY CLEARLY ONE OR SEVERAL COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OR, IF APPLICABLE, INDIVIDUALS |

|CONCERNED WITH THE NOMINATED ELEMENT. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED SHOULD ALLOW THE COMMITTEE TO IDENTIFY THE COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS |

|CONCERNED WITH AN ELEMENT, AND SHOULD BE MUTUALLY COHERENT WITH THE INFORMATION IN SECTIONS 1 TO 5 BELOW. |

|ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MIBU NO HANA TAUE |

|(II) GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND RANGE OF THE ELEMENT AND LOCATION OF THE COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OR, IF APPLICABLE, INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED |

|THIS SECTION SHOULD IDENTIFY THE RANGE OF DISTRIBUTION OF THE ELEMENT, INDICATING IF POSSIBLE THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS IN WHICH IT IS CENTRED. IF |

|RELATED ELEMENTS ARE PRACTICED IN NEIGHBOURING AREAS, PLEASE SO INDICATE. |

|KITAHIROSHIMA TOWN, YAMAGATA COUNTY, HIROSHIMA PREFECTURE |

|(III) DOMAIN(S) REPRESENTED BY THE ELEMENT |

|IDENTIFY CONCISELY THE DOMAIN(S) OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE MANIFESTED BY THE ELEMENT, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE ONE OR MORE OF THE DOMAINS |

|IDENTIFIED IN ARTICLE 2.2 OF THE CONVENTION. (THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USED PRIMARILY FOR VISIBILITY, IF THE ELEMENT IS INSCRIBED.) |

|Not to exceed 100 words. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is an agricultural ritual to worship the deity of rice fields for an abundant harvest. This is defined as ‘( c ) social |

|practices, rituals and festive events’ in Article 2.2 of the Convention. |

|D. Brief summary of the element |

|The brief description of the element will be particularly helpful in allowing the Committee to know at a glance what element is being proposed for|

|inscription, and, in the event of inscription, will be used for purposes of visibility. It should be a summary of the description provided in |

|point 1 below but is not an introduction to that longer description. |

|Not to exceed 200 words. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is an agricultural ritual to worship the deity of rice fields for an abundant harvest of rice crops. It is a social practice |

|in which people pray for a safe production in agriculture. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ has been transmitted mainly by the people of the Mibu and Kawahigashi communities in Kitahiroshima Town, Yamagata County, |

|Hiroshima Prefecture.In the event ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’, people engaged in rice cropping in the Mibu and Kawahigashi communities welcome the deity |

|of rice fields. In the presence of the deity, they plough the rice fields and transplant the rice seedlings. The event has assured safe rice |

|cropping and an abundant harvest in these communities for a long time. |

|1. Identification and definition of the element (cf. Criterion R.1) |

|This is the key section of the nomination to satisfy criterion R.1: “The element constitutes intangible cultural heritage as defined in Article 2 |

|of the Convention”. A clear and complete explanation is essential to demonstrate that the nominated element meets the Convention’s definition of |

|intangible heritage. This section should address all the significant features of the element as it exists at present, and should include: |

|an explanation of its social and cultural functions and meanings today, within and for its community, |

|the characteristics of the bearers and practitioners of the element, |

|any specific roles or categories of persons with special responsibilities towards the element, |

|the current modes of transmission of the knowledge and skills related to the element. |

|The Committee should receive sufficient information to determine: |

|that the element is among the “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills — as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and |

|cultural spaces associated therewith —“; |

|“that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize [it] as part of their cultural heritage”; |

|that it is being “transmitted from generation to generation, [and] is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their |

|environment, their interaction with nature and their history”; |

|that it provides communities and groups involved with “a sense of identity and continuity”; and |

|that it is not incompatible with “existing international human rights instruments as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among |

|communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development”. |

|Overly technical descriptions should be avoided and submitting States should keep in mind that this section must explain the element to readers |

|who have no prior knowledge or direct experience of it. Nomination files need not address in detail the history of the element, or its origin or |

|antiquity. |

|Not to exceed 1,000 words. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is an agricultural ritual in which people worship the deity of rice fields, and pray for a good growth and abundant harvest of|

|the rice crops for the year through ploughing fields, and transplanting rice seedlings. |

|The Mibu community, located in a mountainous area of Western Japan, has developed and transmitted “Mibu no Hana Taue.” Both the Mibu and |

|neighbouring Kawahigashi communities have been areas of rice cropping for a long time |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is carried out on the first Sunday of June every year after actual transplantations in the community are completed. Villagers |

|gather at a large rice field, specially kept in reserve for the ritual. The deity of rice fields is welcomed, and a series of agricultural works |

|such as ploughing, preparation for the transplantation and the actual transplantation are demonstrated in the presence of the deity. |

|On the day of the ritual, villagers bring more than a dozen cattle to Mibu Shrine to be dressed with elaborately decorated saddles called Hanagura|

|and a colourful necklace. |

|The cattle are then equipped with agricultural implements called Manga, and pulled into the rice field, following a man with a sacred stick in his|

|hand. The man who manages the first cattle in line is called Omouji or Omouji-zukai. He skilfully controls the cattle to plough the rice field. |

|This is an honourable role in ‘Mibu no Hana Taue.’ |

|When most of the ploughing is completed, girls called Saotome begin to prepare for the transplantation. They wear colourful dresses, and hats |

|called Suge-gasa. They take the seedlings that grow at the edge of the rice field and put them into a case called Naebune while singing a song |

|under the conduct of an elder man, called Sambai. |

|After the ploughing and preparation for the transplantation are completed, a man called Eburitsuki begins to level the rice field with an |

|implement, called Eburi. It is said that the deity of rice fields rests on Eburi. |

|Transplantation begins in the presence of the deity. Saotome aligned with Sambai transplant the seedlings one by one, walking backwards. While the|

|Sambai sings a leading song, locally considered as a parent song, with lengthwise-cut bamboo called Sasara in his hands, Saotome sing another |

|song, locally considered as a child song. |

|Eburitsuki and the person who carries the seedlings in Naebune follow Saotome, and level the rice field as the seedlings are planted. A musical |

|band follows them, and plays the drums, flutes, and small gongs accompanying the songs of Sambai and Saotome. |

|Once the transplantation is completed, Eburi is placed upside down in some water, and three bunches of rice seedlings are put on it. Some say that|

|the deity of rice fields resides in this Eburi, while others say that the deity launches from it and goes back to the heavens. In this way, an |

|abundant harvest of rice can be expected. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ has been transmitted as an agricultural ritual indispensable to the Mibu and Kawahigashi communities. The people in both |

|communities gather for this ritual to transplant the rice seedlings in the presence of the deity of rice fields, and pray for an abundant harvest.|

|The ritual features the fundamentals of the Japanese lifestyle and culture that make the ritual’s social functions and meanings important. |

|The farmers and local people of the Mibu and Kawahigashi communities have preserved and transmitted ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ as an agricultural ritual.|

|The elderly called Sambai are in charge of a smooth execution of the entire ritual. They are familiar with the songs and music for rice planting, |

|and belong to the Association for the Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue. Some even say that the deity of rice fields rests upon them. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is an agricultural ritual carried out on a specially reserved rice field by habitants of the Mibu and Kawahigashi communities |

|together in a vibrant way every year. It is said to have declined during the Meiji period. Later, however, people became eager to pass it on the |

|future generation as a valuable element of cultural heritage, and the ritual has become quite active up to today. Therefore, the people in both |

|communities consider the ritual as part of their own cultural heritage. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ dates back to before the Edo period, and has been transmitted from generation to generation. The people in the Mibu and |

|Kawahigashi communities have gathered every year to transplant rice seedlings at the season of rice transplantation when rice cropping enters its |

|crucial stage. It inevitably gives them a sense of identity. The ritual assures an abundant harvest in these communities. As a result, it gives |

|them a strong sense of continuity. |

|In order to pass down the knowledge and skills concerning ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’, practice sessions of the ritual’s songs and music are held |

|regularly for the pupils at Mibu Elementary School. Many of the current Saotome and music players also come from these practice sessions. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ does not include any features leading to sexual or racial discrimination, and it has no fear of provoking intolerance or |

|exclusion of specific religious or ethnic groups. Therefore, inscription of this element on the Representative List is compatible with existing |

|international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals. |

|It is also compatible with the requirements of sustainable development, as it does not cause an excessive collection or usage of specific natural |

|resources or materials. |

|2. Contribution to ensuring visibility and awareness and to encouraging dialogue |

|(cf. Criterion R.2) |

|The nomination should demonstrate (Criterion R.2) that “Inscription of the element will contribute to ensuring visibility and awareness of the |

|significance of the intangible cultural heritage and to encouraging dialogue, thus reflecting cultural diversity worldwide and testifying to human|

|creativity”. |

|Please explain how the element’s inscription on the Representative List will contribute to ensuring visibility of the intangible cultural heritage|

|and will raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of its importance. This section need not address how inscription will |

|bring greater visibility to the element, but how its inscription will contribute to the visibility of intangible cultural heritage more broadly. |

|Explain how inscription will promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity, and will promote mutual respect among communities, |

|groups and individuals. |

|Not to exceed 1,000 words. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is an agricultural ritual transmitted from generation to generation by the people living in the Mibu and Kawahigashi |

|communities, whose main occupation is rice cropping. It dates back to before the Edo period. Although it once declined during the Meiji period, an|

|organization was set up to transmit the practice to future generations as a valuable element of cultural heritage. The protection measures taken |

|by Hiroshima Prefecture in 1959 and the National Government in 1976 have also contributed to its transmission. |

|The inscription of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ on the Representative List would further raise people’s recognition of its significance of what they have |

|inherited from past generations. In this way, continuity of its transmission to the future can be expected. |

|In ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’, people welcome the deity of rice fields, and transplant rice seedlings in the presence of the deity. In this way, people |

|pray for a good growth and abundant harvest of rice for the year. Many agricultural rituals similar to ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ can be found in Japan. |

|Such rituals are still preserved and considered important by people engaged in rice cropping. |

|Inscription on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage would also deepen the recognition of people who transmit similar |

|agricultural rituals throughout Japan. It would also raise the awareness of the significance of agricultural rituals related to traditional rice |

|cropping. |

|This is not limited to Japan or Asia. Agricultural rituals similar to ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ can be found all over the world in which people pray for|

|a good growth and abundant harvest of rice. The inscription of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ on the Representative List would foster mutual understandings |

|between the transmitters of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ and those who transmit other similar agricultural rituals in the world. |

|Agricultural rituals similar to ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ can be found worldwide. However, ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ is rich in local features and |

|demonstrates great creativity by humanity, in that people of the communities gather at the rice field for the ritual, and transplant rice |

|seedlings together. |

|The inscription of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage would demonstrate its cultural diversity and |

|creativity of humanity to the communities of the world. As a result, recognition of the value of agricultural rituals found all over the world |

|would be reinforced, and their worldwide transmission to the future can be expected. |

|3. Safeguarding measures (cf. Criterion R.3) |

|Items 3.a. to 3.c. request the elaboration of a coherent set of safeguarding measures as called for in Criterion R.3: “Safeguarding measures are |

|elaborated that may protect and promote the element”. Such measures should reflect the broadest possible participation of the communities, groups |

|or, if applicable, individuals concerned, both in their formulation and in their implementation. |

|a. Current and recent efforts to safeguard the element |

|Please describe the current and recent efforts of the concerned communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals to ensure the viability of the |

|element. Describe efforts of the concerned State(s) Party(ies) to safeguard the element, taking note of external or internal constraints, such as |

|limited resources. |

|Not to exceed 500 words. |

|The following measures are taken for the transmission of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’, and the sufficient recognition of the Japanese intangible cultural |

|heritage. |

|Documentary films were produced by Hiroshima Prefecture in 1979 and by Chiyoda Town in 2000. Besides recording detailed features of ‘Mibu no Hana |

|Taue’, the film introduced the efforts of transmission to the younger generation. Related facilities in Hiroshima Prefecture used the distributed |

|films widely. |

|Research reports were compiled by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 1969, by Hiroshima Prefecture in 1978 and by Kitahiroshima Town in 2000. |

|There reports were distributed to the libraries throughout Hiroshima Prefecture and have been used for the transmission. |

|The Association for the Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue organizes a Children's Dengaku Team for the fifth graders of neighbouring Mibu Primary |

|School and teaches them music and songs of Hana Taue. Before the annual Hana Taue, the team performs the music and songs near the rice fields. |

|This is a good occasion to train successors. Since 1976, Kitahiroshima Town has subsidized successor training, cattle feeding and equipment |

|repairs. |

|Kitahiroshima Town established the Hall for Preservation and Transmission of Folk Performing Arts in the Geihoku Area in 1983. The hall is used |

|for the dissemination of folk performing arts in this region by showing documentary films or displaying old equipment for the arts. |

|The Association for the Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue participated in the Chugoku Shikoku Block Folk Performing Arts Festival in 1983. Aiming |

|to further disseminate the ritual, the Association shows music and songs for ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ on many other occasions including an event in |

|Washington, USA. |

|b. Safeguarding measures proposed |

|For the Representative List, the safeguarding measures are those that may help to solidify the element’s current viability and to ensure that its |

|viability is not jeopardized in the future, especially as an unintended result of inscription and the resulting visibility and public attention. |

|Identify and describe the various safeguarding measures that are elaborated that may, if implemented, protect and promote the element, and provide|

|brief information concerning, for example, their priority, scope, approaches, timetables, responsible persons or bodies, and costs. |

|Not to exceed 1,000 words. |

|The inscription of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ on the Representative List would raise public awareness of this element. It is also expected that more and |

|more tourists would come not only from other domestic areas but also from around the world. Commercialization of this element for tourists may be |

|beneficial to the promotion of the local area, but there is a high risk that the element's quality and tradition will deteriorate. Providing |

|training to successors of the element is also a good opportunity for the Preservation Group to make sure that successors fully understand the |

|tradition behind "Mibu no Hana Taue," and to prevent the tradition from becoming distorted or deteriorated. Education activities for those who do |

|not know about the element are important to promote understanding. It is also important for the national as well as local governments to |

|financially secure the procurement or repairing of utensils used in the event in order to maintain the tradition. The following steps are concrete|

|measures to be taken by the preservation group, the national and local governments: |

|The following measures are feasible for associations or local governments aiming to preserve and transmit ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’. |

|A detailed textual document, recording its ritual process and expressions should be compiled. The Association and related local governments should|

|use the document as a textbook for the training seminar for transmission. The National Government should support them. |

|Support should be given to repair and procure the utensils for ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ by the Association and related local governments. The National |

|Government should support them. |

|Seminars on the origin of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ or methods of transmission should be organized. A pamphlet explaining the ritual should be produced.|

|The National Government should support these efforts by the Association and related local governments. |

|c. Commitment of communities, groups or individuals concerned |

|The feasibility of safeguarding depends in large part on the aspirations and commitment of the communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals |

|concerned. This section should provide evidence that the communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals concerned have the will and commitment|

|to safeguard the element if conditions are favourable. The best evidence will often be an explanation of their involvement in past and ongoing |

|safeguarding measures and of their participation in the formulation and implementation of future safeguarding measures, rather than simple pledges|

|or affirmations of their support or commitment. |

|Not to exceed 250 words. |

|The Association for the Preservation of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ |

|The association was established in 1976, for the conservation and transmission of ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ by training successors and opening the |

|performance to the public.The Association organizes a Children Dengaku Team within the neighbouring primary school and teaches the children the |

|music and songs of Hana Taue. The team performs the music and songs near the rice fields, before the annual Hana Taue. This is a good occasion to |

|train successors. The Association performs music and songs for ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ on many occasions including participation in and outside of the|

|town. |

|At the Town level |

|In the Division for Lifelong Learning of Kitahiroshima Town Board of Education, staff are assigned for the protection of cultural property based |

|on the regulations for the protection of cultural property of Kitahiroshima Town. The Town established the Hall for Preservation and Transmission |

|of Folk Performing Arts in the Geihoku Area in 1983 for the dissemination of folk performing arts in this region, by showing documentary films or |

|displaying old equipment for the arts. |

|At the prefectural level |

|The Division for Cultural Affairs was established in the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education, and staff are assigned for the protection of |

|elements of intangible cultural property based on the regulations for the protection of cultural property of Hiroshima Prefecture. |

|d. Commitment of State(s) Party(ies) |

|The feasibility of safeguarding also depends on the support and cooperation of the concerned State(s) Party(ies). This section should provide |

|evidence that the State Party concerned has the commitment to support the safeguarding effort by creating favourable conditions for its |

|implementation and should describe how the State Party has previously and will in the future demonstrate such commitment. Declarations or pledges |

|of support are less informative than explanations and demonstrations. |

|Not to exceed 250 words. |

|Experts on intangible cultural property are posted in the Agency for Cultural Affairs and they are in charge of the protection of intangible |

|cultural property based on the Law for the Protection of Cultural Property. |

|4. Community participation and consent in the nomination process (cf. Criterion R.4) |

|This section asks the submitting State Party to establish that the nomination satisfies Criterion R.4: “The element has been nominated following |

|the widest possible participation of the community, group or, if applicable, individuals concerned and with their free, prior and informed |

|consent”. |

|a. Participation of communities, groups and individuals in the nomination process |

|Describe how and in what ways the community, group or, if applicable, individuals concerned have participated actively in the nomination process |

|at all stages, as required by Criterion R.4. States Parties are further encouraged to prepare nominations with the participation of a wide variety|

|of other concerned parties, including where appropriate local and regional governments, neighbouring communities, NGOs, research institutes, |

|centres of expertise and other interested parties. The participation of communities in the practice and transmission of the element should be |

|addressed in point 1 above, and their participation in safeguarding should be addressed in point 3; here the submitting State should describe the |

|widest possible participation of communities in the nomination process. |

|The Japanese Inventory includes those elements designated as Important Intangible Cultural Property or Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property|

|or selected as Selected Conservation Techniques under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Property. ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ was designated as |

|Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1976, as it demonstrate well Japan’s traditional lifestyle based on rice plantations from ancient |

|times. |

|The Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties and its subordinate the 5th Special Research Group were responsible for the designation. |

|They consist of experts on intangible cultural heritage such as specialists on festive events, worship, production and livelihood, practitioners, |

|and representatives of associated groups, and they investigate and examine candidate elements. |

|Before the above mentioned designation, the Government investigated the communities or groups concerned with the element and had many discussions |

|with them including guidance on their activities for preservation. The Government received their consent and nominated the Association for the |

|Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue as a preservation organization. |

|The Subdivision on Cultural Property of the Council for Cultural Affairs and its subordinate the Special Committee on the Convention for the |

|Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage also investigated and examined our candidate elements for the Representative List. The |

|Subdivision and the Special Committee include experts on intangible cultural heritage such as festive events, worship, annual events, as well as |

|presidents of museums, lawyers, novelists, and representatives of NGOs who are actively involved in the field of ICH. |

|In making our nomination, the Association for the Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue as its Preservation Group held several meetings with Hiroshima|

|Prefecture, Kitahiroshima Town, and Mibu Dengaku-dan and Kawahigashi Dengaku-dan that belong to the Association, and agreed to become a candidate |

|for inscription on the Representative List. The Association presented a written consent. It compiled a nomination file with the cooperation of the|

|National Government. |

|Representatives from Hiroshima Prefecture and Kitahiroshima Town attended the meeting on the preparation of the nomination files at the Agency for|

|Cultural Affairs. They conducted all correspondence matters between the local communities and the Agency. |

|Photographs and video were taken on 6th July 2009 at the occasion of “Mibu no Hana Taue” this year by Kitahiroshima Town and produced with the |

|cooperation of Hiroshima Prefecture and the National Government. |

|At all stages of the nomination process in Japan, the communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals concerned participated in the widest |

|possible way. |

|b. Free, prior and informed consent to the nomination |

|The free, prior and informed consent to the nomination of the element from the community, group or, if applicable, individuals concerned may be |

|demonstrated through written or recorded concurrence, or through other means, according to the legal regimens of the State Party and the infinite |

|variety of communities and groups concerned. The Committee will welcome a broad range of demonstrations or attestations of community consent in |

|preference to standard or uniform declarations. |

|Please attach supporting evidence demonstrating such consent and indicate below what evidence you are providing and what form it takes. |

|See attached ‘Certificate of Consent’ |

|c. Respect for customary practices governing access |

|Access to certain specific aspects of intangible cultural heritage is sometimes restricted by customary practices governing, for example, its |

|transmission or performance or maintaining the secrecy of certain knowledge. Please indicate if such practices exist and, if they do, demonstrate |

|that inscription of the element and implementation of the safeguarding measures would fully respect such customary practices governing access to |

|specific aspects of such heritage (cf. Article 13 of the Convention). Describe any specific measures that might need to be taken to ensure such |

|respect. |

|People are free to come and see ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ when it is held. There are no specific customary practices restricting access to it. |

|5. Inclusion of the element in an inventory (cf. Criterion R.5) |

|This section is where the State Party establishes that the nomination satisfies Criterion R.5: “The element is included in an inventory of the |

|intangible cultural heritage present in the territory(ies) of the submitting State(s) Party(ies) as defined in Articles 11 and 12”. |

|Identify the inventory in which the element has been included and the office, agency, organization or body responsible for maintaining that |

|inventory. Demonstrate that the inventory has been drawn up in conformity with Articles 11 and 12, in particular Article 11(b) that stipulates |

|that intangible cultural heritage shall be identified and defined “with the participation of communities, groups and relevant non-governmental |

|organizations” and Article 12 requiring that inventories be regularly updated. |

|The nominated element’s inclusion in an inventory should not in any way imply or require that the inventory(ies) should have been completed prior |

|to nomination. Rather, a submitting State Party may be in the process of completing or updating one or more inventories, but has already duly |

|included the nominated element on an inventory-in-progress. |

|‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ has been designated as Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property since 1976. All elements of Important Intangible Folk |

|Cultural Property are included in the Japanese inventory described in Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention. |

|The Japanese inventory includes such items as designated or selected by the Law for the Protection of Cultural Property as Important Intangible |

|Cultural Property, Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property, or Selected Preservation Techniques. Before ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ was designated as |

|Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 1976 due to its utmost importance as an agricultural ritual of Japan, it had been researched and |

|examined by the Council for the Protection of Cultural Property and its subordinate organization, the 5th Special Research Group. Experts on the |

|safeguarding of various elements of intangible cultural heritage, such as 'customs and habits' or 'folk performing arts' participated in the |

|Council for the Protection of Cultural Property and the 5th Special Research Group at that time. |

|For the above-mentioned designation, the national government investigated groups which inherited ‘Mibu no Hana Taue’ and engaged themselves in the|

|preservation of it. The government had many discussions with them about preferable activities for preservation. Then, the element was designated |

|with the consent of the related groups of that time, i.e. the Association for the Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue. |

|The Agency for Cultural Affairs keeps the inventory and updates it whenever it is necessary, for example at the time of a new designation or |

|annulment of a designation. |

|Documentation |

|All documentation that is provided should add value to the nomination file by offering information about the element, its role within its |

|community, its viability and any challenges it faces. If the element is inscribed, such documentation will also be used to achieve the |

|Representative List’s purpose of ensuring visibility for intangible heritage. Photographic, sound and audiovisual documents should be submitted |

|according to the technical specifications in the Annex below. Supplementary materials (within the maximums set out below) may be submitted, and |

|will be helpful in allowing visibility activities, but they will not be considered in the process of examining or evaluating the nomination. |

|a. Required and supplementary documentation |

| |

|Primary materials |

|Supplementary materials |

| |

|Photos |

|10 recent photographs (required for evaluation) |

|Maximum 30 |

| |

|Video |

|edited video (maximum 10 minutes) (strongly encouraged for evaluation and visibility) |

|Maximum 60 minutes |

| |

|Audio |

|- |

|Maximum 60 minutes |

| |

|Maps |

|- |

|Maximum 3 |

| |

|Books |

|- |

|Maximum 3 |

| |

|Regrettably, materials in excess of the maximum quantities listed in the 'Supplementary materials” category cannot be accepted by UNESCO. In |

|sending materials, clearly distinguish the primary materials from any supplementary materials you may wish to include. None of the materials will |

|be returned to the submitting States. |

|b. Cession of rights including registry of items |

|Primary materials must be accompanied by a non-exclusive cession of rights document granting worldwide rights to UNESCO to use the materials (see |

|Form ICH-07). The ICH-07 form must be submitted in English or French, without alteration of any kind to the text and be signed by an authorized |

|signatory. The cession of rights must include a registry of the items submitted, describing for each item: |

|identifier (file name and/or reference) |

|copyright information, including creator’s name |

|date of creation |

|caption (in English or French) |

|Supplementary materials should, whenever possible, also be covered by a non-exclusive cession of rights to UNESCO, including the same identifying |

|information. |

|c. List of additional resources |

|Submitting States may wish to list the principal published references, using standard bibliographic format, as well as websites or multimedia |

|resources providing supplementary information on the element. |

|Not to exceed one page. |

|None |

|Contact information |

|a. Contact person for correspondence |

|Provide the name, address and other contact information of the person responsible for correspondence concerning the nomination. If an e-mail |

|address cannot be provided, the information should include a fax number. For multi-national nominations provide contact information for one person|

|designated by the States Parties as the main contact person for all correspondence relating to the nomination (request for additional information,|

|etc). For multi-national nominations, also provide contact information for one person in each State Party. |

|In Tokyo: |

|Toru TAKEDA (Mr.) |

|Office for International Cooperation on Cultural Properties |

|Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan |

|3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8959, Japan |

|e-mail : t-takeda@bunka.go.jp |

|Tel : +81 3 6734-3143 |

|Fax : +81 3 6734-3820 |

|In Paris: |

|Permanent Delegation of Japan to UNESCO |

|100, Avenue de Suffren 75015 Paris, FRANCE |

|e-mail : dl.japan@unesco- |

|Tel: +33 1 5359 2733 (direct) |

|Fax: +33 1 5359 2727 |

|b. Competent body involved |

|This section should provide the name, address and contact information of the competent body (agency, museum, institution, or manager) with |

|responsibility for the local management and safeguarding of the element. |

|Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan |

|3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-959, Japan |

|Tel : +81 3 6734 3143 |

|Fax : +81 3 6734 3820 |

|c. Concerned community organization(s) or representative(s) |

|Provide the name, address and other contact information of community organizations or representatives, or other non-governmental organizations, |

|who are concerned with the element such as associations, organizations, clubs, guilds, steering committees, etc. |

|Association for the Preservation of Mibu no Hana Taue |

|245-1, Mibu, Kitahiroshima-cho, Yamagata-gun, Hiroshima-ken, 731-1515, Japan |

|Signature on behalf of the State Party |

|The nomination should conclude with the original signature of the official empowered to sign it on behalf of the State Party, together with his or|

|her name, title and the date of submission. |

|In the case of multi-national nominations, the document should contain the name, title and signature of an official of each State Party submitting|

|the nomination. |

| |

|Name: Hideo TAMAI |

| |

|Title: Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, Japan |

| |

|Date: 19 May 2011 (last revision) |

| |

|Signature: |

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